Google has announced a 12-month free subscription to its Google AI Plus service for students in Nigerian higher institutions as part of its latest student offer.
The initiative, valued at N92,400 per student, is available to students aged 18 and above enrolled in accredited universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
Students who accessed the offer during the previous academic year can also renew their free subscription for another year after re-verifying their student status.
According to Google, the subscription provides students with enhanced access to Gemini as an AI-powered study companion, including higher usage limits, Gemini Omni, Gemini Live for real-time voice conversations, Deep Research for academic projects, customised practice quizzes, unlimited file uploads and 400GB of cloud storage.
Nigeria is among 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where the student offer is now available.
Olumide Balogun, Google’s Director for West and East Africa, said the initiative was designed to help Nigerian students overcome financial barriers to accessing advanced AI tools.
“AI is the defining technological shift of our generation, and for Nigeria, with one of the youngest and most entrepreneurial populations in the world, it is an immediate leapfrog opportunity,” Balogun said.
He added that the free subscription would help students master complex subjects, develop digital skills and improve their competitiveness in the global economy.
Google said the programme was designed to support learning rather than encourage students to rely on AI to complete academic work for them.
Its Guided Learning feature provides students with hints, questions and step-by-step guidance instead of simply giving them answers.
Google cited a Google DeepMind study involving 1,763 students in West African schools, which found that students who used Guided Learning recorded learning progress equivalent to between 1.2 and 1.7 years over eight weeks.
The study also found that more than 90 per cent of student interactions with the AI focused on understanding concepts, while Gemini provided direct solutions in only two per cent of cases.
Google said lecturers can also use Google Classroom to restrict Gemini to Guided Learning mode, allowing students to receive academic support without relying on the tool for shortcuts.
The technology company added that student and classroom data would not be used to train its AI models.
Google also highlighted measures introduced on YouTube to reduce distractions during study, including Take a Break reminders, bedtime alerts and controls limiting access to Shorts.
The company said the measures were particularly relevant as 74 per cent of teenagers rely on online video for schoolwork.
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